The Lady in Red
by Gamesplayers
Summary: During the Luin Annual Ball, Kratos and Anna realises their feelings for each other and it this night becomes one of memory. Kratos X Anna. Before the game. Oneshot. Reviews are greatly appreciated!


**The Lady in Red**

_« Le monde est mené par des fous! Mon amour, il n'en tient qu'à nous de nous aimer plus fort! » - _L'amour existe encore de Luc Plamondon, chanson reprise par Garou et Natasha St-Pierre

Kratos was standing in the middle of the ballroom, straight across the huge mansion's stairs. He was wearing his Cruxis suit and was bored. He and Anna had been hiding at the Luin Mayor's mansion and they had befriended, against his will, with the occupants of the house. So, when the mayor and his wife had sent invitation for the annual Luin ball, Kratos and Anna were on the guest list. She had been excited, while he was thinking about burying himself in a hole.

When he was a teen, so more than four thousand years ago, he attended many balls. His parents, important people in Meltokio, were organizing them. Every time, he would be forced to dance with some old woman trying to convince him to do… things. So, he hated balls. This one was no exception, he thought.

He sighed mentally and looked at his expensive looking glass filled with alcohol named champagne. Even when he was human, he hadn't been addicted to alcohol. He vaguely remembered a time when he and Yuan had drank together and it ended up in him being drunk and Yuan was horny. He shook his head. A horny Yuan wasn't an appropriate thought for the moment, even if the scene had been funny. He glared at the stairs, absently hoping he'd see Anna appear before him.

Kratos smiled softly, something he would do _only_ when no one he knew was around. He thought of Anna, how her light brown curly hair would float in the wind and how her greenish-chocolate eyes glittered when she was happy. His facial features softened as he played absently with his glass. He wondered how she would be when she would go down the stairs with the other women. He was used seeing her in manly clothes. She loved dresses and feminine things, but running constantly away from an organization whishing to kill you didn't permit to wear court dresses.

A hand came to rest on his muscled shoulder. Kratos looked up, surprised. "There you are, son!" Said the mayor, a tall and slender man with black short hair and lively blue eyes. Kratos resisted the urge to yell to never call him like that again. He was old enough to be his ancestor, after all. Instead, he gave him a welcome nod. "The ball will be starting in a moment." The mercenary repressed the intense envy of rolling his eyes. The mayor smiled widely at him. "I'll keep you company until your beloved Anna comes down." The auburn haired man stared at the mayor's face intensely, as if he was ready to tear him to pieces. The darker man took his hand off of the apparently younger one's shoulder. "Come on, son! It is clearly written on your forehead that you are deeply in love with the girl." Kratos looked like he was about to collapse. "You should tell her." An expensive looking glass of champagne connected with the ground.

***

Anna was standing before a huge mirror and was surrounded with corpulent women trying to arrange the "poor thing into a gorgeous creature". She sighed in frustration and looked at her reflection. She was so badly makeup that she looked like an old prostitute and they had made her wear some over-sized yellow dress. And now, the dozens of angry women were arguing over which color would fit her best, because it was certain that yellow wasn't meant for her to wear. She adopted an irritated facial expression when she realised that the argument wouldn't be over before the beginning of the ball. She decided she should stop it and arrange herself alone. She inspired as many air as she could. "SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" The women glared at her and then disappeared, offended. Only the mayor's wife stayed in the room. She closed the door behind the hoard of women.

Anna slipped off the dress and walked to the mirror and proceeded to take off this damn makeup. She was starting to be desperate and the other woman present in the room felt it. The blond woman took Anna's chin in her hand and made her look into her eyes. The brunette snatched her head away as a tear descended upon her angelic face. The older woman hugged her. "I will help you." She murmured.

"I want to look good." Murmured back the brunette with a sweet voice.

"You already do." Anna shook her head.

"I…" She blushed. "I would like him to see that I can be more than just a street warrior. I want him to understand that I am a woman…" The blonde smiled.

"So that's the real reason." She giggled. "Don't worry, we'll make sure he will notice you." Anna smiled.

"Thanks."

***

Kratos felt embarrassed for breaking the glass, but he also felt very grateful for it, since it had driven the mayor away from him. He walked away as the black haired man was getting a domestic to clear the mess. He found a suitable spot behind a group of chatting men. He had a clear view on the stairs and would spot Anna quickly. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited, as there was nothing better to do.

The door upstairs opened and everybody stopped talking. Kratos looked up, waiting for something to happen. The men arranged their positions so they were forming a half-circle around the stairs. Women would go and join their partners and then they would open the evening with a waltz. Kratos rolled his eyes and created a spot for him in the semi-circle.

He looked around himself. There were a few men younger than he was, in appearance, but most of the male guests were in their late thirties and wore fat around their abdomen. He was surely the only swordsman in this room. They wore suits of different colors, going from white to black and passing by every color of the chromatic well. Yeah, even green-apple and yellow. Kratos looked at his feet a moment without real interest in them but his attention was dragged back to the stairs as the first high heel connected with the marble, making a knocking sound.

The first women descended in rows of two, each at one side of the stairs. Colourful female joined their male partners and kisses were exchanged. The men complimented their wife, telling them they were gorgeous, but not really believing it. They looked all the same, except they changed colors. Some couple matched together, making a gentle contrast to the human's eyes, while other ones were almost blinding. Kratos' attention was taken by a couple which the man wore light green and the woman magenta. Kratos smiled to himself, thinking that if they were blend together, they'd be gray.

His attention went back to the stairs when he heard a mentionable pack of people emitting surprising noises. He looked up and like many other men, his eyes widened and his jaw fell. The last women descended together. A tall and blond woman with a smaller and curvy brunette made their way down, gracefully. The mayor's wife was well known in the city to be a real gorgeous woman. Usually, she'd be the one receiving this reaction from the men. But this year, the younger woman beside her was the one towards whom all the attention was directed.

Anna's hair was as curly and long as ever and flowed in the air, almost magically. Instead of being undone, like they usually were, she had braids on the side of her head which were holding the hair that would normally hide her angelic face. She wore little make up, just enough to make her eyes look dark green and her lips to be pink. But the dress, or rather the body in it, was what caught the males' attention: Anna wore a red dress that clung to her curves perfectly, revealing how womanly she was. The cleavage stopped right above where her breasts started, not revealing anything that shall not be to hundreds of strangers. The sleeves showed her shoulders and consisted of a large band of red satin hugging the highest part of her chest and back and hiding some skin on her arms. The dress enlarged itself about in the middle of her thigh, allowing her to walk freely. Her feet were discovered as she descended the stairs. She was wearing red high heels sandals. She had elbow long white satin gloves. And when it came to the jewels, her Cruxis Crystal had been changed into a chainless necklace.

Anna spotted Kratos instantly, as he was wearing an expensive looking white and black suit with many leather belts and he was plainly the most attractive man in the room. His eyes were simply glued to her and she blushed, liking the look he gave her. She smiled to him as she reached the floor, finally. She walked straight to him and he closed his mouth. He took her hands in his. "You are gorgeous." He said, believing his words. She blushed and nodded silently. The mayor and his wife looked at each other and smiled. They had known, since the first time they had seen them together, that they were crazy of each other. The mayor clapped in his hand, which was the signal for the waltz to start. The musicians started playing and the couples made their way to the center of the room, and prepared themselves for the dance.

Kratos led Anna there, not saying anything and she thought it was funny because normally, he would have said something like "… I'm not doing this." She smiled to herself. He faced her and took her left hand in his right and put his left one on her shoulder blade. She looked at him, intrigued as to what to do next. He smiled. "Put your left hand on my shoulder." He explained and she did. He took a step forward her, expecting her to move, but she stayed still. Her eyes widened. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Waltzing." He answered. She blushed.

"I… never danced before." She admitted.

"Let me lead and you'll be fine." Anna looked up at him and nodded silently.

He took another step and this time, she followed. He was a great dancer and knew the waltz more than any other dance. She smiled as she started to understand how to move. He watched her as she was looking at his feet. They had touched each other before, during battles most of the time, or when he needed her to move fast, he would hold her wrist. But they had never been so near each other. Even if several inches separated their bodies, he could feel her heat and smell the soft perfume of her hair. Slowly, the music intensity diminished and they came to a halt. She looked up at him and smiled, again. "You truly are a great dancer." He didn't answer and stared at her, blankly. Some unknown force was making Kratos Aurion considering the woman's lips. In facts, he was considering catching those sexy pink lips with his own. A hand posed itself on his shoulder, again, and his mind got back into reality, to his displeasure. He released his grasp on Anna and turned around, meeting the mayor. "You look absolutely wonderful tonight, Anna." Said the older man in appearance.

"Thank you." She replied, a proud smile illuminating her face. The mayor turned his attention to the auburn man.

"May I borrow Miss Irving for the next dance?" Kratos looked blankly at the man a moment before deciding he would look too possessive if he refused.

"Of course." He answered, finally. The wife of the mayor appeared beside her husband and smiled to the mercenary.

"I would love to have a dance with you, Kratos." She said.

"It would be my pleasure." He replied, lying.

The musicians accorded their instruments and the mayor took Anna's hand in his and they positioned themselves for the next dance. Kratos did the same with the mayor's wife. The music started and so did the dancers. The mercenary kept an eye on Anna while dancing with the blond woman. He admitted she was beautiful, but nothing compared to his Anna. _Wait, did I think of her as mine?_ His eyes widened a little as he tripped on his own foot, but he gained his composure back almost instantly. The blond giggled. "You are a great dancer, when not tripping over your own foot." She teased him and he allowed himself to fake a smile, behaving like he was ashamed. "I won't tell Anna." She whispered and he glared at her, which made her smile grew. "You are such a straight individual, Kratos." He checked on the brunette from the corner of his eyes. _Yeah, I know_, he thought.

Anna was dancing with the mayor and even though she liked him a lot, almost like a father, she felt uneasy to be stared at during the dance. Kratos did the same, she was aware of it, but with the mercenary, it was simply different. Everything was. Under her hand, she could feel the mayor's shoulder and muscles. He was a well built man, pleasing to the eyes, but not near as the auburn was. Kratos was rougher than any man she had met. Even his shoulder muscles seemed harder than it should be. She looked at him: the mayor's wife seemed to have fun, considering her huge smile. She looked back at the black haired man with whom she was dancing.

A certain realization came to her at that moment. _What if he doesn't like me?_ Nothing proved her that Kratos had feelings for her. He might have just thought she was beautiful. Thinking someone looked good didn't involved being in love. The mayor caught her sudden distress. "What is it, Anna?" He asked, concern in his voice.

- "Nothing." She shook her head and forced a smile on her lips. The mayor made her a "You-know-I-know-it's-not-true" face. She sighed. "Do you think…" She bite her lower lip. "That he feels something for me?" She murmured. The Mayor smiled from ear to ear and chuckled.

- "Believe me, he does!" He said and Anna smiled back, not reassured at all, but pleased nonetheless.

The dance ceased and the mayor and his wife released their preys. Kratos turned around and saw Anna coming towards him. He offered her his arm and she took it. "Let's go out on the balcony, I need fresh air." She lied. They left towards the huge double doors leading outside.

They stayed beside each other, she wouldn't let go of his arm and he didn't want her to do so. An uneasy silence fell between them. So many things could be said, but neither of them knew how to word them. She had a crush on him ever since he saved her from the human ranch. But now, she was afraid that this was no longer a crush, but real love. He was hard to like, she was aware of that. He was cold and unfriendly; he smiled rarely and laughed even less often. But still, when he was with her, everything was so right. He made everything right. He had comfort her when she was only a wounded little bunch of dirty skin. He shared humanity that he didn't even seem to possess with her. And slowly, she had fallen in love with him.

Kratos simply didn't understand how he was feeling. He had never been in love with anyone before. He was quite sure that's what he felt for the girl beside him, but still, he couldn't be totally sure. Plus, he would never admit it, but he was scared to be rejected if he tried any move on her. Still, he wouldn't allow Anna to make the first move. He still had some dignity as a man. He was confused, finally.

Suddenly, she let go of his arm and went to sit on the side of the balcony, her hair flowing in the air as always. He stayed where he was, not taking his eyes off of her, like she would disappear if his gaze went elsewhere. She faced him and smiled to him. He smiled back instantly, not even thinking that he should be stoic as always. She giggled and he sent her a "_why are you laughing?"_ stare. "You have a great smile." She answered.

"…Thank you."

"You should do that more often."

"…" He didn't look sure about that. She sighed lightly.

"When you are with me, at least." He looked down at his feet, trying to hide the small blush that was appearing on his cheeks. A moment later, he looked up, his usual blank expression back.

"Let's go back in the ballroom." He offered his arm again and she took it.

They passed the rest of the evening dancing with other people and trying to ignore each other. He knew he would probably make a big mistake if he'd danced with her again and she thought that he was just trying to show her he wasn't interested. She felt depressed most of the evening and he was just being his usual self and staying alone in a corner. Obviously, the mayor and his wife knew better. It was about midnight and only one dance remained: a slow one. The couples reunited together as the music started. Kratos and Anna stared at each other a moment, hoping the other would make a move, which didn't happen. Seeing this, the mayor and his wife took hold of the things. The dark haired man literally pushed Kratos in the middle of the room while his blond wife was dragging Anna by the hand. They pushed them together, until they were a mere inches away from each other.

He stared at her a moment and she sent him his stare back. Then, Kratos smiled softly and put his arms around her waist. She smiled shyly, happy that he wasn't rejecting her, and put hers around his neck. Smiling again at each other, the mayor and his wife retreated to dance a few meters away from the younger couple.

They started the dance with a small distance between their bodies. But as the music went on, so did their bodies. Like magnet, they made the distance between them disappear slowly. He held her tightly against him and she locked her arms around his neck, as if she was scared that he'd go away. As they stared at each other, they weren't aware that their faces drew nearer. All they were aware of was the heat of the other's body over them and the intensity of the stare they were sharing. The music had disappeared a long time ago, for them. The smell of her hair was overwhelming for him. His body pressed against hers made Anna's head turn. She could definitely feel his muscular torso on her chest.

The music started to fade and they suddenly stop dancing. He smiled lightly and closed the distance between them. Still looking into her eyes, he brushed his lips with hers. She closed her eyes at the feeling. As electricity made its way through her spine, their lips met, softly. She thought her heart and head was about to explode at the wonderful feeling. However, he broke the kiss before her knees would fail her and she opened her eyes, slowly. He had always been handsome, but at that moment, the look he gave her made him look clearly like an angel.

They were taken back to their usual selves as the people started clapping all around them. She smiled shyly and buried her face in his chest. He couldn't help but smile shyly and proudly at the spectators and everybody seemed happy.

A half hour later, everybody was gone and they were walking silently in the corridor leading to their respective rooms. They came to a halt before the door to her room. She put her hand on the doorknob and started turning it, but she stopped in her motion and turned around. A huge blush installed itself progressively on her face as she took his hand and pulled him inside the bedroom with her. He followed and closed the door behind him instinctively. She sat on her bed and looked down at her feet. He stood between her and the door. He watched her think a moment. He was sure he wanted this woman to be his. However, he needed to tell her some important information first, even if it could end up in her rejecting him. She deserved to know the truth. He needed to tell her. She sat up abruptly and looked straight in his eyes. "I…" She started but he cut her speech with his own.

- "There is something you should know." Fear attacked the poor girl and she could feel her stomach acid trying to find a new way to make her sick. He was going to tell her he wasn't interested, wasn't he?

- "Wh-what?" She asked, paralysed with fear. He looked away, ashamed.

- "You know that Cruxis is the organization ruling the Desians." He said, not expecting an answer. "You know that Cruxis is an organisation of angels?" She nodded. "There is something you should know, Anna." He closed his eyes and big, beautiful blue wings appeared on his back. She gasped. "I am of Cruxis." He opened his eyes. "I am no mere angel. I am one of the four seraphs, leader of this world." A single tear descended upon her cheek. "I traveled four thousand years ago with Mithos and Martel. We saved the world together." He stared out the window. "This makes me your enemy." He whispered those last words. A sob escaped her throat and he felt his heart being shattered by it.

- "Why di-did you set me fre-free from the ranch, th-then?" She asked, anger in her soft voice.

- "I am a fugitive." He started. "I needed a way to blackmail Cruxis." Her face became white. "As you were an important project for them, the Angelus Project, you were the perfect tool for my plan." She jumped off the bed and planted her fists on his chest. He didn't try to stop her. She felt sick and dirty and… and… it hurt like hell!

- "I was only some stupid puppet to you!" She yelled, the pain in her chest unbereable.

- "You were." The verb tense he used caught her interest and she slowed her incessant attack. "It is not the case anymore." She stop hitting him and looked up, her sobs disappeared. A tear fell from her eye and Kratos wiped it away. "I stopped considering you a puppet long ago." Her eyes widened. Was he really saying that? "I've been alive for more than four millennia and in all this years, I never felt as alive as I do now." She couldn't believe her ears. "Anna…" He whispered her name in a way that made her shiver. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "… I've never felt like this before, I must admit, but…" He caressed her cheek. "… I am sure that it is love that I feel for you."

She had no time to react because his lips caught hers in a soft but passionate kiss. He held her close when he felt her knees weakening. They broke the kiss a moment, staring at each other, eyes filled with lust and love. She was so beautiful and he felt the need to possess her, _now._ Anna smiled to him and kissed him back. With the tip of his tongue, he asked permission to enter her mouth, to taste her. She agreed instantly and she circled her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. They broke the kiss a moment later, needing to breath. She caressed his cheek. "I've loved you ever since we met." She said. It took him a moment to register what she had just said and he was speechless.

He hugged her softly and kissed her in a way that she described as happily. She broke the kiss and stared at one of his numerous leather straps. He understood what she wanted and slowly, he started to undo them. With a seductive smile on his lips, he started to strip. He took his shirt off and watched Anna blush furiously. Shyly, she traced the lines of his sharp muscles with her fingers. He shivered at her soft touch. He smiled at her and kicked his boots off. He could swear he wouldn't need them for the rest of the night. Her fingers continued their way down, until they were stopped by his pant. Anna looked up, asking him silently to take them off. He shook his head and smiled. "Your turn." He said. She took her gloves off and threw them to the ground. Sensually, she put her hand to her back and unzipped the dress. It slowly fell down and her body was revealed. She shivered as the clothes she still had were her panty and bra. She had taken her shoes off a long time ago because she was not used to high heels and she was uncomfortable. Her skin seemed to glitter in the moonshine and he was astonished by her beauty. He had seen female bodies before, but no one could be compared to hers. He hugged her close and kissed her passionately. She broke the kiss and pushed him on the bed. He needn't to be pushed a second time.

They fell on the bed, kissing, hands discovering every bit of flesh available, tongues teasing sensitive skin. She was sitting on top of him, pressing her breasts against his chest. Anna's hand went to his pants and she started to undo them, miraculously finding how. Kratos worked on her bra, he really wanted to see those breasts freed from their cages. He succeeded and slid the lingerie off her arms and dropped it to the floor. She did the same with his pants. He rolled over her and kissed the beauty lying on the bed under him. Kratos grabbed the helm of her panty and he looked at her, asking silently for approval. She nodded slowly and swallowed her saliva. Seductively, he slid the garment off of her long and sexy legs. She shivered: the night air was particularly cold on her naked skin. The mercenary stood on his knees a moment, taking in every detail of her perfect form. She was breath taking and he couldn't help but feel the urge to take her. She sat up and put a finger on his boxer's waistband. Slowly, she slid them off, blushing at what she was discovering.

Skin against skin, tongues and teeth roaming along sensitive flesh, hands lost in hair, they exchanged body heat. Her high moans joined themselves to his low ones. Her nails dug in his skin. He growled lowly as her lips and tongue explored sensitive parts of his body. She bite her lips when he pleasured her with his skilled fingers.

Anna was lying on her back, sweating and painting slightly, legs around his waist when he kissed her one last time. She couldn't contain her need anymore. She rubbed herself against him and he moaned in the kiss. The broke, painting. "Please, Kratos…" She pleaded, lust filling her magnificent eyes. "T-takes me…" She smiled to her and nodded. He positioned himself correctly between her legs and looked at her one last time.

Being as gentle as he could, he trusted against her and slowly made his way inside of her hot body. Anna's eyes filled themselves with tears, the pain being strong for a moment. Once inside of her, he stopped moving and waited for the beauty lying beneath him to adjust to his presence. A few seconds later, she tugged her hips in his direction, indicating him that he could move. Slowly, he built an interesting pace and she joined him. Moaning softly, they felt pressure increasing in their respective bodies. Kratos increased his pace. Their moans increased in intensity and he went faster and faster. Anna was the first one to reach the intensity of orgasm. He followed quickly after, letting a low, animalistic moan escape from his throat.

He withdrew slowly from her and let himself fall beside her. Panting and sweating, they looked at each other. She smiled to him and he returned it, a true smile. He got on his knees to get the blanket that had disappeared during their lovemaking. He covered both of their bodies and took the woman he loved in his arms, pressing her body against his. "I love you." He whispered and she smiled against his chest.

" Me too."

He watched her sleep against his chest that night while playing with her hair. Little did he know that this was the beginning of the greatest tragedy of his life.

* * *

**This story was inspired by two songs: **_**Lady in red**_** from Chris Deburgh and **_**L'amour existe encore**_**, originally written by Luc Plamondon and then sang by Garou and Natasha St-Pierre. I really hope you appreciate it, since it took me a lot of time to write this.**

**Reviews will be more than greatly appreciated,**

**Gamesplayers.**


End file.
